The present invention relates to a battery charge and discharge system and, more particularly, to a battery charge and discharge system of an apparatus on which an auxiliary battery is mounted.
As an apparatus having an auxiliary battery mounted thereon, which charges and discharges the auxiliary battery, a vehicle security system is exemplified.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram schematically showing the principal part of a conventional security system. A master 1A as a security device side comprises a microcomputer 1a to perform various types of control. Connected to input terminals of the microcomputer 1a are an ignition switch 2 to detect whether the position of an ignition key is ON or OFF, a key insert switch 3 to detect whether or not the ignition key is inserted into a key cylinder of an engine, a door courtesy switch 4 to detect whether doors are open or closed, a lock position switch 5 to detect whether the doors are locked or unlocked, and an intrusion detecting means 6 to detect unfair intrusion into a car.
The microcomputer 1a of the master 1A and a microcomputer 2a of a slave 2A are connected through a communication line 9. A siren, for example, as the slave side has the microcomputer 2a to perform various types of control. An alarm generating circuit 11 is connected to an output terminal of the microcomputer 2a. The alarm generating circuit 11 sounds an alarm based on a detected signal from the intrusion detecting means 6. An ignition detecting circuit 12 is connected to an input terminal of the microcomputer 2a, and an ignition key switch 13 is connected through a signal wiring 14 to the ignition detecting circuit 12. One end of an auxiliary battery 15 is connected to the microcomputer 2a in order to inform the charge state, while to the other end thereof, a main battery 7 is connected through a switch circuit 16 and a feeder line 8. The main battery 7 is connected through the feeder line 8 to both the microcomputer 1a of the master 1A and the microcomputer 2a of the slave 2A.
Charging of the auxiliary battery 15 mounted on the siren as the slave 2A in the above construction has been conducted as follows.
In the slave 2A, an ON/OFF signal of the ignition key switch 13 is captured through the signal wiring 14 by the ignition detecting circuit 12, which then outputs the detected signal to the microcomputer 2a. When the ignition key switch 13 is judged to be ON, the microcomputer 2a judges the engine to be in action and sends a signal for making the switch circuit 16, comprising a switching element such as a transistor, ON to the switch circuit 16 in order to charge the auxiliary battery 15. When the switch circuit 16 becomes ON, the charge of the auxiliary battery 15 is carried out by the main battery 7 through the feeder line 8.
On the other hand, when the ignition key switch 13 is judged to be OFF, the microcomputer 2a does not judge the engine to be in action and sends a signal for making the switch circuit 16 OFF to the switch circuit 16 in order to inhibit the charge of the auxiliary battery 15. When the switch circuit 16 becomes OFF, the charge of the auxiliary battery 15 by the main battery 7 through the feeder line 8 is inhibited. As described above, the charging of the auxiliary battery 15 has been performed based on the ON/OFF state of the ignition key switch 13 directly detected by the slave 2A.
In the above-described conventional battery charge and discharge system, the signal wiring 14 for capturing the ON/OFF signal from the ignition key switch 13 on the slave side is required. In addition, the slave side is required to have the detecting circuit 12 for detecting the ON/OFF state of the ignition key switch 13. Therefore, the count of components constituting the slave is large, resulting in a high cost.
The present invention was developed in order to solve the above problem, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a battery charge and discharge system, wherein instead of making a slave directly judge the permission/inhibition of charging of an auxiliary battery mounted on the slave, the charging of the auxiliary battery is carried out through the use of a communication means between a master and the slave, so that the count of components such as a signal wiring and a detecting circuit can be reduced, leading to a reduction in cost.
In order to achieve the above object, a battery charge and discharge system (1) according to the present invention is characterized by a battery charge and discharge system controlling the charge and discharge of an auxiliary battery installed separately from a main battery, wherein a master and a slave with the auxiliary battery mounted thereon are communicably connected, the system comprising a first judging means to judge whether or not the master is in sleep mode, a charge inhibit means to inhibit the charging of the auxiliary battery of the slave when the first judging means judges the master to be in sleep mode, and a charge permit means to permit the charging of the auxiliary battery of the slave when the first judging means does not judge the master to be in sleep mode.
Using the above battery charge and discharge system (1), the slave can control the permission/inhibition of the charging of the auxiliary battery based on the judgment of whether or not the master is in sleep mode. Therefore, a signal wiring and a signal detecting circuit component for detecting signals, conventionally required for directly judging the state of an ignition key switch on the slave side, become needless, so that the count of components constituting the system can be decreased, resulting in a cost reduction.
A battery charge and discharge system (2) according to the present invention is characterized by a battery charge and discharge system controlling the charge and discharge of an auxiliary battery installed separately from a main battery, wherein a master and a slave with the auxiliary battery mounted thereon are communicably connected, the system comprising a second judging means to judge whether or not the sleep conditions of the master are satisfied, a charge inhibit means to inhibit the charging of the auxiliary battery of the slave when the second judging means judges the sleep conditions of the master to be satisfied, and a charge permit means to permit the charging of the auxiliary battery of the slave when the second judging means does not judge the sleep conditions of the master to be satisfied.
Using the above battery charge and discharge system (2), the slave can control the permission/inhibition of the charging of the auxiliary battery based on the judgment of whether or not the sleep conditions of the master are satisfied. Therefore, a signal wiring and a signal detecting circuit component for detecting signals, conventionally required for directly judging the state of an ignition key switch on the slave side, become needless, so that the count of components constituting the system can be decreased, resulting in a cost reduction. Moreover, the charge can be inhibited at an earlier timing before the master goes into sleep mode, and at the wake-up time of the master, the charging of the auxiliary battery is not permitted until an operation condition such as an event occurs. As a result, the power consumption of the main battery can be reduced.
A battery charge and discharge system (3) according to the present invention is characterized by a battery charge and discharge system controlling the charge and discharge of an auxiliary battery installed separately from a main battery, wherein a master and multiple nodes are connected through a communication line, and the master and a slave with the auxiliary battery mounted thereon are communicably connected, the system comprising a third judging means to judge whether or not at least one of the nodes is in sleep mode, a charge inhibit means to inhibit the charging of the auxiliary battery of the slave when the third judging means judges at least one of the nodes except for the master to be in sleep mode, and a charge permit means to permit the charging of the auxiliary battery of the slave when the third judging means judges none of the nodes except for the master to be in sleep mode.
Using the above battery charge and discharge system (3), the slave receives the judgment of whether or not the nodes connected through the communication line with the master are in sleep mode through the communication line and controls the permission/inhibition of the charging of the auxiliary battery. Therefore, a signal wiring and a signal detecting circuit component for detecting signals, conventionally required for directly judging the state of an ignition key switch on the slave side, become needless, so that the count of components constituting the system can be reduced, resulting in a cost reduction. Moreover, by receiving at an early stage a signal indicating that the communication system including the multiple nodes is shifting to sleep mode while the master itself is in action, the charging of the auxiliary battery can be inhibited at an earlier timing. And at the wake-up time of the master, the charging of the auxiliary battery is not permitted until all of the nodes go into action. As a result, the power consumption of the main battery can be reduced.
A battery charge and discharge system (4) according to the present invention is characterized by the auxiliary battery, which is used as a driving power when the electric power supply from the main battery is cut off in any of the battery charge and discharge systems (1)-(3)
Using the above battery charge and discharge system (4), even if the electric power supply is cut off by causing the main battery to be removed, or the feeder line from the main battery to be cut, the driving power can be supplied from the auxiliary battery, resulting in maintaining the slave in action.